Earth boring machine



Oct. 21,- 1958 Filed Jan. 12, 1955 Fig.

Fig.7

K17 y 4'3 I 45 T. J. MURRAY EARTH BORING MACHINE Thomas J. Murray INVENTOR.

Oct. 21, 1958 T. J. MURRAY 2,857,139

EARTH BORING MACHINE Filed Jan. 12, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 35a 34a Thomas J. Murray INVENTOR.

BY WM United States Patent EARTH BORING MACHINE Thomas J. Murray, Jackson, Miss., assignor of fifty percent to J. C. Redd, Jackson, Miss.

Application January 12, 1955, Serial No. 481,329

Claims. (Cl. 255-22) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in earth boring machines employing an auger for use in boring holes for concrete or other piling, or for other purposes.

An important object of the invention is to provide a boring machine which may be easily and quickly set up at a desired location. A boring machine to achieve this and the other objects includes an upstanding frame on which a platform is slidably mounted and wherein the platform supports a motor for driving a vertically slidable drill stem. An anger is vertically slidable on the drill stem and connected thereto by releasable latch means, and the auger is raised out of the hole by hoist means which remains inactive during the boring operation and operated by a subsequent raising movement of the platform. a

A very important object of the invention is in the provision of a boring machine for using drill stems of varying length whereby the machine may be used to drill holes underneath a structure to install bored concrete piling to reinforce the footings of the structure.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on a line 22 of Figure l; v

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the sectional drill stem;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on a line 44 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on a line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 66 of Figure 2; and

Figure7 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 77 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a substantially rectangular-shaped upstanding frame having a pair of braces 6 attached at their upper ends to the upper side portions of the frame and extending downwardly therefrom at an inclined angle with respect to the frame and having pointed lower ends 7 to penetrate the ground and support the frame in an upstanding position.

A platform 8 is mounted for vertical movement on frame 5 whose side members 4 function as rails for the platform. Collars 9 connected by cross-member 9a are vertically slidable on side members 4, and they have ICC arms 3 protruding therefrom on which sleeves 2 are disposed. Cross members 1a are secured to sleeves 2 and they, with sleeves 2 and arms 3 of platform 8 support the housing 1. Sleeve 10 is mounted for rotation in an upstanding portion of housing 1 and has a stop collar 46 fixed to it, the latter having the bottom wall of housing 1 bearing on it (Figure 1).

Electric motor 16 is mounted on the top of housing 1. It rotates pulley 14 by means of a belt 15 that is entrained around that pulley and a pulley 14a on the shaft of the motor. Shaft 13 is mounted for rotation in bearings in the opposite sides of housing 1, and it has the pulley fixed to it. Sleeve 10 is rotated by gear 11 which is fixed to it, inasmuch as gear 11 is in mesh with worm 12 and the worm is fixed to shaft 13. Accordingly, when motor 16 is energized, sleeve 10 is rotated through the belting and gearing (Figure 1).

The sleeve 10 is formed with a square-shaped bore 17 in which a drill stem 18 of square shape in cross-section is slidable and closely fitted in driving engagement with the sleeve. Stem 18 may be sectional (Figure 3) with the sections having their confronting ends fitted in and bolted to connecting sleeves, as sleeve 18a.

The lower end of the drill stem 18 is formed with a pointed pilot tip 19 above which a stop flange 20 is positioned, and a collar 21 is slidable on the drill stem and is provided with an auger blade 22 driven by the drill stem, the collar 21 being locked in boring position at the lower end of the drill stem by a latch 25.

The lower portion of the drill stem 18 is formed with a recess 23 adapted to receive the lower end 24 of a latch 25 which is pivoted to the collar 21 by a bracket 26. A coil spring 27 is positioned behind the upper end of the latch to urge the latch through a hole in collar 21 and into engagement with recess 23 of the drill stem 18 in order to lock the collar 21 with its auger 22 to stem 18.

A vertical feed screw 28 is journaled in the upper and lower portions of frame 5 between the side frame members thereof and extends freely upwardly through a relatively large opening 29 in the platform 8.

A carrier 30 includes a collar 31 which is threaded on the feed screw and the carrier includes a cross-bar 32 positioned in engagement with the side members 4 of the frame 5 to prevent turning movement of the carrier. The lower end of the feed screw is provided with a chain and sprocket drive 33 driven by a reversible motor 34 supported on the lower portion of the frame 5. Drive 33 comprises a sprocket 33a fixed to the lower end of screw 28, a chain 34a entrained around sprocket 33a and around sprocket 35a that is fixed to the shaft of motor 34.

A pair of shafts 35 and 36 project outwardly at diametrically opposite sides of the upper portion of the sleeve 10 and on which drums 37 and 38 are journaled respectively. The outer ends of the drums are provided with bevel gears 39 and 40 and a stationary ring gear 41 is secured to the upper end of an upstanding part 53 of housing 1 on platform 8 below gears 39 and 40 and in the path of lowering movement of the latter. 1

A cable 42 is attached at its upper end to drum 37 for winding thereon and extends downwardly therefrom through a vertical groove 43 internally of sleeve 10 and is attached at its lower end to the upper end of latch 25.

A second cable 44 is attached at its upper end to the drum 38 and also extends downwardly therefrom through a vertical groove 45 internally of the sleeve 10 and at a diametrically opposite side with respect to the cable 42 and groove 43. The lower end of cable 44 is attached to the upper portion of collar 21.

A pin 47 is slidable transversely through a passage in the lower end of sleeve 10 and adapted to enter a transverse opening 48 in the drill stem 18. The outer end of Patented Oct. 21, 1958 the pin 47 is provided witha handle 49 .anda coilspring 50 is positioned on the pin in a bracket or housing 51 and engages a flange orpin 52 on the pin '47 to hold the latter inwardly.

From the initial starting position the platform 8 is raisedprior'to the boring operation by an upward traveling movement of the carrier 30 'OHIfCCdISCI'EW -28, and the upward movement of zthe'platformi also raises ring .gear 41, drums 37 and 38and'drill stem 18 and augerblade 22. Latch pin 47-iswithdrawn*through sleeve 1 unlock ing-drill stem '18 from sleeve 10 whereby drill stem '18 slides downwardly through sleeve ilL'until the pilot 19 at the lower end of the drill stern "engages the ground. Latch 47 is re-engaged with an aperture 48 in drill 'stem 18 (Figure '5) and the carrier 30 "lowered on the frame 5. This permits platform "8 to lower untilthelower'wall of housing 1 abuts stop "collar 46 whereby the platform weight is 'on the drill stem to perform the drilling operation. Motor 16 is "then started to drive worm 12 and gear'll to turn the-sleeve 10 'to flms rotate the drill stern and the auger. The initial lowering movement of the platform 8 with the drill stem 18 resting ,on the ground also lowers the ring gear 41 'to disengage gears 39 .and 40, in the manner shown in Figure 1, and the drums '37 and 38 thus remain idle during the boring operation.

When it is desired to raise the auger blade alone, .the carrier 30 'is again moved'upwardly on screw 28to raise the platform 8 an amount su'fiicient to 'cause ring gear 41 to engage gears 39 and 40 and rotate the drums 37 and 38 to wind the cables 42 and 44 thereon. It is apparent that in order to raise'theplatform 8 relative to the collar 10, the worm gear 12 must be movable with respect to the gear 11, a distance equal to or greater than the distance between ring gear 31 and gears 39 and 40. ,That is, the gear 11 must have asuificient width so the worm 12 may move relative to it'without becoming disengaged from 'it. The initial turning movement of drum 37 to tighten cable 42 'will're'lease latch 25 and disengage the collar 21 and auger blade '22'from the 'drill stem 18, and the collar 21 and auger blade 22 are then hoisted upwardly on the drill stem by cables 42 and 44 to pull the auger and dirt to the opening of the bore.

To raise the drill stem after the auger blade has been raised, the platform 8 is simply moved upwardly on the frame with latch 47 engaged with stem 18 and gear 11 inactive.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit-the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted 'to,"fall.ing within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A portable boring machine comprising aframe having side members, a brace supporting the frame in an upstanding position on the ground, a platform slidably vertically on the side "members of said frame, energy means mounted on the frame for raising the platform, a vertical drill stem slidably supported by the platform, power means located on saidplatform, connecting means operatively connected between the power means and said drill stem for rotating said drill stem, an auger blade slidably mounted on the drill stem, means releasably connecting the auger blade in boring position on the drill stem releasing means fixed to the stem for releasing said releasable means, means fixed to said platform for actuating said releasing means for releasing said auger blade from said drill stem in response .to raising of said platform upon rotation of said stem.

2. A portable boring machine comprising an upstanding frame having side members, a platform slidable vertically on the side members 'of said frame, actuating means for lifting the platform carried by the frame, a vertical drive sleeve slidahly and rotatably supported by the platform, drive means on the platform for rotating the sleeve, a drill stern slidable in the sleeve and connected thereto for rotation with said sleeve, an auger blade having a collar slidable on the drill stern and in driving engagement therewith, stop .means limiting relative sliding movement ofthe sleeve anddrill stem, a drum mounted rotatably on said sleeve, a cable on said drum and connected tothe auger collar to vertically slide the collar and auger blade on thestem in response to rotation of .said drum, a gear .on the drum, and a stationary ring gear supported by the platform beneath the first named gear and movable .into and out of engagement therewith for a predetermined vertical movement of the platform upon rotation of said sleeve to raise and lower the auger'blade from the drill stern into and out of boring position.

3. The portable boring vmachine of claim 2 together with a second drum mountedfor rotation on said sleeve, a second ca'b'le wound on said second drum, a second gear fixed tosa'id second drum and engageable with said stationary ring gear for rotation ofsaid drum, a latch carried by said collar and operatively connected with said stem and said collar to couple said auger'blade and collar to said stem, and said second cable being connected to said latch to release the latter.

4. The portable boring machine of claim '2 wherein said sleeve has abore in which said stem is disposed and a 'longitudinal passage'way. in communication with said bore, said cablebeing disposed in said passageway and passing there'through.

5.. The portable boringxmachine of claim 2 together with a seconddrum mounted forrotation-on said sleeve, a second cable wound on saidsecond drum, a second gear fixed'to saidsecond drum and engageable with said stationary ring gear for rotation of said drum, alatch carriedby said collar and operatively connected with said stem and said collar to couple said auger blade and collar to said stem, and said second cable being connected -to said latch to release the latter, a pair of passageways .extending through said sleeve and having said cables extending therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 141,916 Burns Aug. 19, 1.873 176,008 Kelly Apr. 11, 1876 1,481,219 Miller Jan. 15, 1924 

